The Witch's City

by M. Gregg Roe

  “I hope so. I’d like to visit Kaldir eventually. I want to see where Grasapa is from and maybe meet Xlee.”

  Albert smiled. “Xlee is happily retired, but I still see him from time to time. It is always nice to be able to speak to someone without having to lie about where I live or my background.”

  “Speaking of that,” said Audrey. “My mother is here on the ship. She’s met Aliva and even knows that she’s part demon, but when you meet her can you not mention that you live outside of Andoran’s Realm or are over a century old? I really don’t want to have to explain everything to her.”

  Albert laughed heartily. “Have no fear. I have a great deal of experience when it comes to lying about these things. I will be most happy to meet the mother of one of my daughter’s friends.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “Are you waiting for someone?”

  Aliva hadn’t heard a thing, but Hanna was now standing next to the bench she was sitting on near the docks. She was dressed all in dark brown but had kept her new hair style. Aliva occasionally spotted her around Rohoville, but rarely spoke with her.

  “Yes, Hanna. My father should be on the ship that’s approaching.”

  Hanna scrunched up her face as she thought. “Bjarni and Mina arrived here yesterday.”

  “Yes. I heard. They came straight here, but my father decided to stay a day in the Witch’s City before coming here. I’ve been letting people there know when I come here to see Stanley.”

  “Okay.” Hanna seated herself to Aliva’s right, her posture impressively straight.

  “Did you talk to Bjarni?” asked Aliva, already knowing the answer.

  “No.”

  “Are you going to talk to my father?”

  “Yes. I like Albert.” Hanna frowned as Aliva looked at her questioningly. “I’ll go see Bjarni. I promise.”

  “Good.”

  The ship was now close enough for her to spot her father in his ever-present purple robe. That gave her a warm feeling.

  “Audrey is on the ship too,” said Hanna. “Maybe she’s here to see her other boyfriend.”

  Aliva glanced at the other passengers and spotted Audrey and another familiar person. “No. The older blond woman next to Audrey is her mother. She’s probably on her way home.”

  Hanna looked surprised. “I didn’t know about that. You know because of Stanley?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you good with makeup?”

  Aliva saw that Hanna was serious. “Yes. Do you need help?”

  Hanna nodded. “Marryn gave me some, but every time I try, I just look worse.”

  “I’m sure I can help you,” said Aliva with a friendly smile. “But it will have to be after my father’s visit.”

  “Of course.” Hanna smiled, and that alone made her look better. “Thank you.”

  Aliva stood up. “Come on. Let’s go meet everyone. And no running off.”

  Hanna sighed as she also stood up. “I won’t.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey had stayed at the castle before, but she had never used the bath that was below it. There were two separate baths, one for each gender, and they were reserved for the king and his family. Or their guests, for Sabrina had told Audrey and her mother that they were welcome to use them. Marilee had declined, saying that she was too tired.

  Audrey undressed in the antechamber. It was lit by two glow-cubes and contained nothing but a long wooden bench across from some shelves and a small table with towels piled on it. On one shelf were a neatly folded shirt and a pair of pants, both dark blue. There was a pair of black boots on the floor underneath the shelf. Audrey folded her clothing and placed them on a higher shelf. She placed her shoes next to the boots.

  A wood door gave entrance to a room measuring four yards wide and deep by three high. Two glow-cubes, situated on shelves to either side of the door provided illumination. The roof was wood, supported by thick beams, but the walls and floor were light gray stone. A square bath was set into the center of the floor. Audrey could see the back of someone’s head who was sitting in the bath. Whoever it was had hair the same brown color as her own.

  “Hello,” said Audrey, and the person bathing abruptly turned and looked at her with large brown eyes. She had prominent cheekbones, a narrow nose, and a small mouth, which was now open with an expression of surprise. It began to dim in the room, and Audrey looked back and forth between the two glow-cubes wondering what was going on.

  “Sorry,” said a high-pitched voice, and the glow-cubes began to brighten again.

  “That was you?” asked Audrey as she walked forward.

  “Yes,” she replied as she looked downward. “I am a priestess of Triara. That happens sometimes when I am startled or become emotional.”

  Audrey went around to the far side of the bath while she thought about it. She sat on the edge with her legs in the water. The water was barely warm, not hot as she had hoped. “Triara is the goddess of darkness, so I guess that makes sense.”

  “Yes,” she replied as Audrey lowered herself into the bath, finding the water to be a yard and a half deep. “My name is Mina. I’m married to Bjarni, the King’s oldest son. We just arrived here today. We live in a small village well to the west.”

  Audrey had heard that name before. Mina spoke with an accent that was similar to Grasapa’s but with a few odd pronunciations. “My name is Audrey. If you’re wondering what I’m doing in the Royal Bath Place or whatever Danj calls it, then don’t worry. Sabrina gave me permission. I live in the Witch’s City and I’m currently dating Saxloc. I know where you’re actually from.”

  Mina smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Well, it’s certainly a good thing you said that,” she said in a sarcastic tone. “I was just about to use my magic to subdue you and then turn you over to the Royal Guard for punishment.”

  Audrey laughed. “That would have been fun. Can you use magic to make this water hotter?”

  Mina sighed. “No. I don’t know any fire magic.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “What happened to that girl that Saxloc kept complaining about?” asked Mina suspiciously.

  “That would be me.” Audrey made her right hand into a fist. “And if Saxloc were here, I would punch him. Did he tell everyone on Kaldir lies about me?”

  “No,” Mina smirked. “Only every single person he happened to encounter.”

  Audrey laughed. “You are very funny, Mina. I like you.”

  “And I want to hear how you managed to go from the bane of Saxloc’s existence to his girlfriend.”

  “That is a very long story, but I can tell you and your husband the short version this evening if you’ve got time.”

  “Okay. We’re here tomorrow, but then we’re leaving on a caravan to visit Siljan.”

  Audrey leaned forward and grinned. “You are going to love the bath they have there! It’s huge! And hot.”

  “Siljan is always bragging about it. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Mina, my mother will be on that same caravan. She’ll be getting off before you do, at Farmerton.”

  “Do you want us to look after her?” offered Mina.

  “Yes, please. But don’t tell her that you’re from outside Andoran’s Realm. She doesn’t know about those kinds of things and it would just confuse her. It might even frighten her.”

  “Okay. We will just go with our usual story. And I’ll try to find out all kinds of embarrassing things about your childhood to embarrass you with the next time I see you.”

  “Don’t you dare!” exclaimed Audrey as she splashed Mina.

  That evening, she told Mina and Bjarni her story while her mother spent time with Sabrina. Bjarni looked like a younger version of his father, but fortunately with more intelligence and common sense. He told her several embarrassing stories about Siljan’s childhood that Audrey couldn’t wait to make use of.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “Why are you eating grubs?” asked Hanna.

  Petra swore her
heart stopped briefly. She was well-hidden in the midst of a mass of assorted vegetation, a good distance away from anywhere that people lived. She had thought she would be safe, but Hanna was now standing just two yards away.

  “I like them,” Petra admitted.

  “Can I try one?” Hanna took a step closer.

  “Sure.”

  Petra concentrated. A grub rose up into the air and she used her power to strip it of dirt before floating it toward Hanna. Hanna looked surprised, but she grabbed it out of the air and tossed it into her mouth. She chewed it and then swallowed, making a face as she did.

  “It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but I don’t like the taste.”

  Petra considered what to say. “It’s one of the things I ate while growing up. I’m used to it.”

  Hanna nodded before squatting down next to her. “In that cavern. That makes sense. They remind you of home.”

  Petra was startled by Hanna’s understanding. The girl often seemed slow, but sometimes she could be quite insightful. “Yes. Please don’t tell anyone.”

  “I won’t. I’m good at keeping secrets. Was that your witch power?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s neat. I’ve never seen it before.”

  “It’s useful for things like this. I don’t have to get my hands dirty.” Petra looked down at the hole she had dug and concentrated. The dirt mounded to the side flowed over and filled in the hole. Petra finished by using her right foot to tamp it down slightly.

  “How heavy a thing can you lift?” asked Hanna.

  “I can lift my desk chair at home, but it’s hard.”

  Hanna nodded. Her eyes darted to the left and she pulled a throwing knife from her left sleeve and hurled it so fast that Petra could hardly follow the motion. She looked at where Hanna had thrown and saw a brown-furred rabbit pinned to the ground by the knife. She felt sick as she saw that it was still alive and struggling weakly to escape.

  Petra watched as Hanna walked over and snapped the rabbit’s neck before removing her knife. Then Hanna produced a burlap sack and put the rabbit in it. “We can have this for dinner tonight,” she said as she stood up.

  “Are things that bad?” asked Petra, feeling concerned.

  “No. Rabbits are tasty.”

  Petra noticed movement back in the bushes. “I think there’s another one.”

  “The mate. It’s too scared to get close.”

  Petra concentrated and then reached out her power to grasp the creature. It struggled frantically and she nearly lost it. She intensified her efforts and it suddenly jerked and went limp. Petra stared in horror at what she had just done.

  “You killed it,” said Hanna as she went to retrieve it. “Thank you.”

  That night, Petra’s dreams were full of vengeful rabbits, and she felt terrible.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey really wasn’t surprised to encounter Erwin not long after seeing off her mother, Mina, and Bjarni at the north ferry landing. He knew her schedule and was obviously hoping for a tryst that morning before she headed back to the Witch’s City.

  Despite the off and on rain, Audrey had still managed to show her mother around the previous day. They toured the castle, visited the temple building, had lunch with Dora, and then did some shopping. Dinner was with Erwin. He was polite and charming, and they all enjoyed themselves.

  They soon reached the small house that Erwin was renting. After shedding her cloak and backpack, Audrey sat down in the sitting area. His expression turned serious as he walked in and seated himself next to her on the sofa. They simply sat for a while, neither one willing to speak first.

  Without looking at her, Erwin said, “I will be moving back to the Witch’s City at the end of the month.”

  “You don’t sound happy about it,” she remarked as she searched his face.

  “I have mixed feelings,” he confessed, finally meeting her gaze. “I want to move back to be near you, but I would also like to continue the work I started here.”

  Audrey felt flattered, but also sympathetic. “Your parents aren’t giving you a choice?” she asked softly.

  “No. They’re going to assign someone more experienced to manage things here. I am being promoted …” he trailed off and then sighed.

  “But your parents will always be looking over your shoulder.”

  “Yes.” His lips narrowed. “Here, I’m in charge. There, I’m just another manager.”

  Audrey wanted Erwin to move back, but she also wanted him to be happy. “You need to tell your parents how you feel,” she told him. “Maybe they’ll reconsider.”

  “You’re sweet,” he said as he smiled slightly. “I will tell them. But not immediately. When I return, I am going to resume my Shorinken training. I haven’t been getting enough exercise.”

  Audrey leaned over and playfully poked him in the stomach. “I had noticed you were looking a little plump.”

  “Yes.” Erwin smiled in a promising fashion. “So, how about we both get some exercise before you have to leave?”

  Audrey returned his smile. “Of course. What do you have in store for me this time? Does it involve rope again?”

  “No, but it does require some other things. Let’s go to the kitchen and get started.”

  “The kitchen?”

  It was surprising in many ways, but Audrey thoroughly enjoyed it.

  40

  ‡ Inflections ‡

  “That’s Farmerton,” said Aliva as she pointed down and ahead. “That’s where Audrey is from.”

  Albert simply nodded in response, his expression serious. They were flying at a height of at least a thousand yards, much higher than Aliva had ever dared. Levitation—the spell now conveying them both—was something that she had never really learned properly. Fortunately, her father was powerful enough to easily transport both of them.

  They had left Rohoville just after dawn and should arrive at Alessandra’s temple by mid-afternoon. The view was amazing. She could see a huge stretch of the shoreline but not the opposite shore. The central portion of Fog Lake was, in fact, a towering mass of dense fog. But it was still beautiful. Aliva decided that she would ask her father to help her to finally master Levitation. That would allow her to visit Stanley more often and not waste so much time traveling.

  Aliva thought that her introduction of her father to Stanley had gone well. She had thoroughly briefed Stanley in advance, and that had definitely paid off. But she could tell that Albert was surprised that she would select someone so plain-looking to be her boyfriend. To her, Stanley was incredibly attractive, because she had finally learned to look past the surface at the person as a whole.

  She had spoken with her father only briefly about her control issues, but that was because he wanted time to consider the matter. If he, with his vast knowledge of both magic and alchemy, couldn’t help her, she wasn’t sure who could. She had finally worked up the courage to ask Hagen about the possibility of becoming, in effect, the Witch’s City’s executioner. He had passed on her request to Ermizad, but the suggestion had clearly shocked him. Aliva wasn’t hopeful because she knew Mardan would never agree.

  As they began to pass directly over Farmerton, she wondered if anyone there would notice them. She could see people out in the fields, but none of them were looking upward. It was tempting to call out and wave, but that might actually scare the villagers.

  As they cleared the north edge of the village, her father said, “After we are well past, we will land and have lunch.”

  “Okay,” she replied. They weren’t traveling all that fast, so conversation wasn’t difficult.

  Aliva would have preferred to stop in Farmerton for lunch, but she knew that her father would never agree. He definitely had antisocial tendencies, although he would never admit it. He had only agreed to this trip because Ariel and Siljan were at the temple. It would probably only be a brief stay, but Aliva was looking forward to seeing the people there.

  “After we have visited the temple,” sa
id Albert suddenly, “I would like to visit Birchbark and Fern. How does that sound?”

  Aliva returned her father’s sly grin. “That would be wonderful. I’ve never been there.”

  “Good. I would like to see them, and to meet the so-called Eye of Andoran that lives there.”

  Aliva smiled to herself as she continued to watch the beautiful scenery. She had really missed her father, and it looked like it was going to be an interesting trip.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “What happened to her?” cried Branwyn.

  Outside the front door, Petra had a bewildered look as she clutched Sabrina’s hand. “My husband happened,” said Sabrina, clearly exasperated. “I left her in the library, but she decided to get a snack. She ran into Danj, and … well, you know how he is.”

  That was all the explanation that Branwyn needed. She gestured for them to enter. Once they were inside, she plucked Petra’s hat off and hung it up. Valwyn came out of the hallway as the three of them entered the sitting room.

  “It was horrible,” said Petra suddenly, her eyes wide. “He wouldn’t stop talking! And I didn’t understand any of it! Where is Lancia? What are horses? Why did Danj want to build an egg out of rock and hide inside it? He even said he met Arwon! Is he really the King?”

  “She’s one of us now,” said Valwyn. “It’s like a rite of passage.”

  “I don’t want to be one of you,” complained Petra as she shook her head. “I remember every word he said and I’ll never forget any of it!”

  “I could hit you in the head,” offered Valwyn. “I’ve heard that a concussion can cause you to forget things.”

  Branwyn frowned at her daughter, noting Sabrina’s amused look. “Take Petra to her room,” she ordered. “And answer any questions she has about what Danj told her.”